About the E Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths)
The E quartal scale is a 6-note scale. Built on stacking perfect fourths, modern jazz sound (So What, Herbie Hancock). Its notes are E, A, D, G, C and F, built from the formula 1 4 ♭7 ♭3 ♭6 ♭2.
- Notes
- E – A – D – G – C – F
- Formula
- 1 4 ♭7 ♭3 ♭6 ♭2
- Steps
- 5–5–-7–5–-7–11
- Root
- E
E Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths) degrees and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | Root |
| 4 | A | Perfect 4th |
| ♭7 | D | Minor 7th |
| ♭3 | G | Minor 3rd |
| ♭6 | C | Minor 6th |
| ♭2 | F | Minor 2nd |
Where to play the E Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths) on 5-string bass
Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (B E A D G), lowest string first. Root notes (E) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.
| String | Frets |
|---|---|
| B0 | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 |
| E1 | 0, 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 |
| A1 | 0, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12 |
| D2 | 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 |
| G2 | 0, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 |
How to practice the quartal scale
- Practice voicings stacking 4ths on each string set
- Use over sus4, m7, and m11 chords
- Work on McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock-style comping
- Try parallel quartal movement up/down the neck
- Great for modal jazz and open, ambiguous harmonies
Scales with the same notes as E Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths)
These scales share every note with the E quartal scale but start from a different root, so the same shapes work over different chords.
Quartal scale in other keys
Other scales in E
- E Minor Pentatonic
- E Major Pentatonic
- E Mixolydian Pentatonic
- E Natural Minor
- E Major (Ionian)
- E Blues
- E Dorian
- E Mixolydian
- E Phrygian
- E Harmonic Minor
- E Lydian
- E Locrian
- E Diminished (Half-Whole)
- E Diminished (Whole-Half)
- E Whole Tone
- E Augmented (Hexatonic)
- E Altered (Super Locrian)
- E Phrygian Dominant
- E Lydian Dominant
- E Mixolydian ♭6 (Hindu)
- E Bebop Dominant
- E Quartal Minor (Stacked 4ths)